Traveling as a group is a great opportunity for families, friends or business colleagues to spend relaxed time together. However, traveling with a group can involve dealing with lots of details, to say nothing of selecting a trip that will suit everyone.

Fortunately, a cruise is a perfect choice for groups that want to travel together, whether it’s for a family or class reunion, a wedding party, a convention, an incentive group, a sales meeting, a fundraising group, a club you belong to – the list goes on and on. Today’s ships are equipped with such a wide range of features and activities that everyone can find something to do, and yet still fit in time to be productive, if it is a business-oriented trip. Sailing to different ports of call also presents opportunities for new adventures each day.

If you are interested in arranging a cruise for a group, it’s important to work with a travel professional, preferably one who focuses exclusively on cruising. A Personal Cruise Expert can help you put together a completely customized Group Cruising Package. For example, it could include meeting rooms with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment; specialty dining options; priority embarkation; cocktail parties, and more. Cruise Holidays can also coordinate the air travel needs of group members, which is especially important if they live in different areas. This type of expert can also work with the cruise line to book your group’s staterooms together and ensure that your group receives any special benefits that are available, such as stateroom category upgrades, special shore excursions and group photos.

If budget is a concern, cruising is still a very attractive solution. Most ships offer several different types of staterooms that fit a range of budgets. In addition, cruises are virtually all-inclusive. The price includes accommodations, meals, snacks, entertainment and most of the on-board activities.

When planning a group cruise, it’s best to contact your travel professional at least six months in advance. Cruise Holidays will not only help you decide on the right cruise line, ship, and itinerary, but they will attend to other details, such as coordinating special requests and helping you develop a marketing plan for promoting your group to your organization or family members. They’ll also accept and process all incoming registrations, process all departure documents, and can even escort your group to assist with any last-minute requests that need coordination.

An experienced travel professional is necessary to ensure a flawless group cruise experience.